


Remedies

by KiranInBlue



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-17
Updated: 2014-08-17
Packaged: 2018-02-13 12:15:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2150382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KiranInBlue/pseuds/KiranInBlue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For the prompt: Shortly after Ezri arrives on DS9, Kira spots her fighting nausea, and gives her a traditional Bajoran remedy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Remedies

**Author's Note:**

  * For [celestialskiff](https://archiveofourown.org/users/celestialskiff/gifts).



It was almost 2500 hours. The promenade, usually bustling and full of life, was hushed. Many of the shops and restaurants had closed down with the looming threat of Dominion attacks, and those that still opened their doors in the mornings were now cleaning up and winding down from a slow day’s business.

Kira passed through the wide corridors, offering amicable nods to familiar faces as she went by. She was just coming off the swing shift, and as she was on duty for the first rotation the next day, she figured that meant she should head to her quarters to try to get some sleep. But she was in no hurry – she was no stranger to insomnia, and these days, restful nights were few and far between. A heavy weight of anticipation had settled over the entire station, and she was just so _tired_ of staring, sleepless and frustrated, up at the ceiling, night after night. She’d much rather spend a few extra minutes strolling along the promenade.

Kira turned a corner, then paused at the sight of the figure crouched by the viewport.

Ezri Dax was sitting on the floor, her knees drawn up to her chest. One arm was wrapped around the front of her legs; the other, tucked in against her stomach. She looked faintly green.

It had been about a week since Ezri had arrived on the station. Other than their awkward interaction in the promenade temple, Kira hadn’t spoken to her much; everyone was busy these days, and making the new ensign feel comfortable simply hadn’t been very high on her list of priorities.

And if Kira was being perfectly honest with herself, she hadn’t particularly gone to much trouble to find the time, either. How were you supposed to deal with a newly-joined Trill anyhow? Were you supposed to express grief over the loss of the previous host? Or was that disrespectful to the new host? Kira had never been the best person to deal with heavy emotional issues in the first place, and when you threw in cultural factors and a species-specific experience she couldn’t even _begin_ to wrap her mind around . . . well, she’d thought it might be best to give Ezri some space. She certainly hadn’t done a good job making Ezri feel comfortable the last time they’d talked.

But now, Ezri was curled up on the ground, looking miserable, and as Kira watched, she let out a weak groan and tightened her grip around her belly.

So with a quick breath to push down her lingering uneasiness, Kira stepped up to Ezri’s side. “Hey – are you okay?”

Ezri started. She glanced up, and a flash of recognition brought a weak, but friendly, smile to her face. “Colonel! I-I didn’t see you there!”

“You don’t look so good,” Kira said. “Do you need me to call Doctor Bashir?”

Ezri shook her head hastily – and then looked as if she regretted the movement, as her skin greened again. “No – it’s okay; I’m just spacesick again. It’s not fun, but it’s nothing to bother Julian about. I came out here to try to see if watching the stars move might help settle my stomach.” She grimaced. “It’s not working very well, unfortunately.”

It wasn’t common to meet a Starfleet officer who was prone to spacesickness; the prospect of fighting nausea on a daily basis tended to turn most susceptible people away from that career path. Kira frowned. “Do you get spacesick frequently?”

“Before I was joined? Never. Afterwards? _Every day_.”

“Have you tried chewing boton seeds?”

“Boton seeds?” Ezri echoed, looking puzzled.

“It’s a traditional Bajoran remedy,” Kira explained. “But I don’t know how they’d effect Trill physiology,” she added, feeling a little foolish.

“At this point? I’ll try _anything_. Maybe if I’m very lucky, I’ll get a placebo effect.”

At the exasperated expression that crossed Ezri’s face, Kira couldn’t help a slight grin. “Well, if you want to accompany me to my quarters, I’ll give you some; I have some on hand for tea.”

“Oh, you don’t have to,” Ezri said hastily. “I’m sure I could get some on my own.”

“At twenty-five hundred hours? I don’t think the replicated kind works nearly as well. Really, it’s not a problem.”

“Well, if you’re sure –,”

“I _am_. Come on.”

She helped Ezri to her feet, and together, they made their way to their turbolift. Ezri’s hand finally fell away from her stomach, and although the stiffness of her movements betrayed her continuing discomfort, she valiantly did not complain.

When they had finally reached her quarters, Kira keyed the door open and gestured for Ezri to enter.

“Sit down, I’ll go grab the seeds,” she said.

Looking grateful, Ezri sank into a nearby couch. Kira turned to a set of drawers pressed up against the opposite wall.

It was an odd feeling, having Dax in her quarters again. In the past, when Jadzia would visit, for dinner or gossip or a card game, her exuberant energy seemed to fill every corner of the room, infectious and bright. Dax’s presence now was completely different – gentler . . . almost _smaller_. It wasn’t worse or better than it had been with Jadzia – just different. It certainly didn’t feel like the Dax she knew was visiting again; rather, it felt like maybe Ezri was just a little sister that Jadzia had never mentioned.

Perhaps it was best, Kira thought, as she pulled out a large tin of seeds. When she looked at Ezri, she didn’t see a replacement for the friend she loved. That didn’t make it much easier to know how to interact with Ezri, but at least it wasn’t half as painful.

“Here you go,” Kira said, and handed the tin to Ezri. “Remember to shell them before you chew them, but I hope it helps.”

Ezri looked a little startled as she accepted the container. “Thank you – but _all_ of these? You sure you don’t want to keep at least some of them?”

Kira waved a hand dismissively. “If they work, you’ll need them. If they don’t, you can just bring them back. Besides, I can buy more before I go on duty for first rotation tomorrow if I need to.”

“Oh, you have first rotation! I’m sorry; I’m keeping you up!”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m going to spend half the night wide-awake anyway.”

Ezri’s eyebrows knit together concernedly. “Insomnia?”

“Yeah. But don’t worry about it – I’m used to it. I know that’s something you could probably therapy away, but it’s just not that important.”

“I see,” Ezri said. “Well, you know, if you don’t want therapy, I could also offer you syto bean soup.” Kira blinked at her, and Ezri grinned. “It’s a Trill remedy.”

And now, Kira had to smile, too.


End file.
